Electronic Education and Lifelong Learning

Introduction

Today the global education community has become the buzz term in the realm of education and training. Learners in every location around the globe must acquire new skills, be literate, and understand constantly changing dynamics in globalization (Schrum, 2000, p. 91). College courses taught in the United States of America can be taken by students in Asia. Likewise, courses taught in Europe can be taken by learners in North America. Although younger learners like to travel to a different university in a different country in order to obtain a much desired degree and to get cultural immersion in order to learn a different language, nontraditional learners prefer taking courses offered by foreign universities or corporations in foreign countries via distance education technologies (can be used interchangeably with Web 2.0 technologies from time to time) in their home countries. This is not to say that nontraditional learners do not like to travel to foreign countries. Rather, they have multiple work and family responsibilities (Wang, 2006) that prevent them from being away from home for a long time. Obtaining a college degree is a several yearlong endeavor to anyone. This article will explore the relationship between lifelong and e-learning, historical developments in e-education, expanding horizons in e-education, limitations, the digital divide, and global barriers within the realm of e-learning.